


Burning (your teacake) for you

by somerandomperson



Series: It was just a cup of coffee [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 14:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1390651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somerandomperson/pseuds/somerandomperson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is a barista in coffee shop and Arthur is the regular he loves to banter with</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning (your teacake) for you

Merlin hadn’t had a customer in 15 minutes. The stock take had been done, the tables clear, the appliances clean and the display cases refilled. It was so quiet that he had sent Will out for his cigarette break and left Freya flicking through the new health and hygiene course manual in the back office. 

Merlin was leaning against the counter savouring the quiet of coffee shop in the late afternoon. Moments like these were the reasons he still worked here, the quiet calm he could use to gather his thoughts and indulge in some people watching. There was only three people in the shop at the moment, a girl in one corner pouring over a book and a couple of men in suits quietly talking over something on the laptop in front of them. 

All was right in Merlin’s little domain.

Merlin was reaching out to straighten the espresso cups on top of the coffee machine when the quiet swoosh of the door opening caught Merlin's attention. 

"Place still standing I see” a voice called out and Merlin hid a small smile as he turned round to face the customer

“Afternoon Arthur, the usual?” Merlin took a quick glance at the clock as he took a teacake from behind the display cabinet where he'd been hiding it and popped it onto Panini machine to heat up ... yup 4:03 Arthur on time as always, not that Merlin would admit that this might be another reason why he liked afternoons.

“Am I standing too close? Should I stand closer to the door to avoid the inevitable inferno?”

Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur and rung up Arthur's transaction.

"One time really."

Arthur paused while pulling a tenner from his pocket "you set coffee beans on fire Merlin".

"A fluke accident" Merlin plucked the tenner from Arthur’s hand and gave Arthur his change before moving on to make Arthur his coffee. 

Arthur’s eyes followed him as he moved "what's next the coffee machine? the fridge?" 

"Fridges burn quite nicely actually" Merlin let a smirk creep onto his face.

Arthur raised an eyebrow "I don’t think I want to know how you know that".

"Probably not" Merlin agreed while adding a pump of vanilla syrup to a paper cup.

There was a pause while Merlin moved behind the coffee machine, setting the portafilter in place and starting the machine.

"Why do I let you prepare my food?" 

Merlin looked up from steaming milk to find Arthur had moved further along the counter to be level with him.

"Now you're just being difficult."

"I must have a death wish" Arthur declared “ or a particularly adventurous spirit”.

"Lacking excitement in your life there Arthur?" Merlin grinned back "I can see that deciding whether to be a big prat or a massive prat is about as thrilling as your day gets".

Merlin poured milk into the cup, popping on the lid before sliding it across the counter to Arthur who was standing there looking at Merlin with an odd sort of look on his face, if it had been anyone but Arthur Merlin would have said it was regret. 

As Merlin pushed the cup into Arthur’s hand he seemed to recollect himself and Merlin saw a smirk hastily plastered onto Arthur’s face.

"Hair net."

Merlin rolled his eyes but went along with Arthur’s change in subject.

"I only wore it once."

"Hair. Net." 

Merlin suppressed the urge to grin at the joy on Arthur’s face at the thought and threw a cardboard sleeve at him "you wish you could pull it off".

Arthur caught the sleeve (damn him and his coordination) and grinned at his success "your ears stuck out at right angles" .

Merlin gave an over exaggerated sigh "green is an unbecoming shade on you".

Arthur motioned that Merlin should lean in as if Arthur was about to share a secret, Arthur leaned closer and stage whispered “nothing is unbecoming on me".

Merlin sputtered slightly then huffed out a laugh "looks like your staying here then, pull up a seat".

Arthur looked confused "what? no I have a meeting" he looked at his watch “in ten minutes”

"I disagree." 

Arthur paused mid-sip "really?"

"Yeah there’s no way your head will fit out the door."

Arthur’s mouth twitched but he managed to maintain his straight face by handing over his coffee and stating that there was too much foam. 

Merlin looked exasperated and took a moment to imagine Arthur wearing his coffee before taking said coffee away and started to make a new one. 

While he was heating the milk again muttering ‘princess’ under his breath Arthur watched on with a shit-eating grin on his face, because he loved making things difficult for Merlin. 

Merlin looked up to see Arthur frown at something over his shoulder then pointed behind Merlin.

"My teacake is burning." 

Merlin looked over to see smoke drifting from the Panini machine. 

"Its fine" he said as he rushed over to retrieve it swiftly dumping it onto a plate and presenting it to Arthur who eyed it suspiciously.

"It's charcoal"

"It'll taste fine."

"I like my food to taste like food."

"It won't turn to ashes in your mouth." 

"Because it's already ashes" Arthur whined.

"God you're precious" Merlin moaned dumping the teacake into a takeaway bag along with butter and extra jam and shoving the bag into Arthur’s hand. Arthur looked from the bag to Merlin and back to the bag.

"Why do I come here?"

"The witty banter."

Arthur opened the bag to take a peek at the teacake "well it isn't your culinary expertise".

"Oh Arthur you come here for me" Merlin said clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes.

"What no!?!" Arthur blurted out looking a little pale at the idea.

"Can't deny it now"

"Can I have my coffee now" Arthur huffed.

Merlin grinned as he went back to making Arthur’s coffee. When he’d finished he grabbed Arthur’s hand as he reached for the cup "don't be embarrassed I’m fairly irresistible"   
Arthur attempted to bat away Merlin’s hands to get to his coffee.

"In what reality."

"Yours."

Scowling at his failure to liberate the coffee from Merlin’s grasp he crossed his arms and gave Merlin, what Merlin supposed was his ‘I’m in powerful in charge and not taking this   
shit face’ "coffee Merlin".

Merlin smiled sweetly at him, that look had never made him back down and Arthur knew it. 

"Anything for you muffin" he said handing over the coffee with a short bow and a flourish of his hand.

"Please tell me you've not burnt my coffee you idiot" 

Merlin grinned "stop with the flirting you'll make me blush".

Arthur just scowled at Merlin and took a sip of his coffee, eyes just shutting for a second as he took a first taste. 

"Admit it, its good."

"It's adequate."

Merlin grinned at Arthur, he knew Arthur loved his coffee even though he'd never say so. They looked at each other for a moment until a slight tinkling sound indicated that the door had opened and a couple of businessmen were headed towards the counter.

"hardly makes up for the teacake though" Arthur said stepping away from the counter.

"You love my buns."

Arthur laughed as he walked away and called back over his shoulder

"You wish Merlin, you wish."

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago and there is at least one other story in this little world i will post. 
> 
> No i have no idea what's going on with the title, i just couldn't think of a title at all.
> 
> What can i say i love a good bit of banter and Merlin and Arthur are my OTP .... now and always


End file.
